also, to resolve the ongoing problems we want
1. the document loss problem solved
2. more accountability by CIBC
3. a student loan resolution process in place so that our problems get dealt with quickly
4. a process to recall student loans from collections if an error was made.

I believe these are reasonable requests and only reflect the promises of CIBC's customer care centre.

One of my chief complaints is that they did nothing to contact me when my confirmation of enrolment forms were not on my file (back in '97, even though my grad date was a couple years away), or when my loans changed status, oreven when they started taking money from my TD account!! In fact, the only reason they phoned me was because my TD account was sucked dry, and they wanted more money.

In my October 2002 discussions with CIBC Executive Customer Relations, a mysterious "fact" popped up: They claim that two letters were sent to me. I didn't receive them, and this was the first time anyone has mentioned them. Oh, and the bank can't find any copies of the letters to me. But whatever. They say that they always send pre-consolidation letters, so they must have sent at least one to me... Right?

And through all of this, the stated position of CIBC was that they sent a couple letters, got no response, so they took the money. Why not phone the client? Their stated position is that they have no obligation to contact student loan clients about problems; it is each student's responsibility to phone in frequently to check for errors.

So get this... My girlfriend forgot to file her confirmation of enrolment forms with CIBC back in September 2002. How did the bank handle that? They wrote to her and phoned her at home to see if she was still a student. She is, so they reminded her to get the forms in quickly, because the loans would change status in a couple months. "Thanks, and have a nice day!"

Maybe the CIBC National Student Centre learned a lesson from their past mistakes (and past damage to people's lives). Maybe they are now doing their job a little bit better: preventing problems.

But will the CIBC go so far as to say that they should have contacted students in this situation in the past? No friggin' way...

Reach out to CIBC for help and guidance.....I don't think so! CIBC did nothing to contact me until right before my loans were about to be sent to collections. When I asked how I could apply for interest relief, the person at CIBC student loan centre told me I had to pay off outstanding interest first. I asked for some paper documentation, as I hadn't received any. A few days later I received a blank piece of paper, with simply amount of loans on it. I called back to ask for something a little more detailed, and to try to pay outstanding interest. The "service" agent told me not to bother as my loan had already been sent to collections, since CIBC would rather deal with gov't guarantees than demanding ex-students. She also said that even if I paid the outstanding interest that CIBC would probally just keep my cash and it was highly improbable that they would recall my loan from collections (too much work for them). Thus no interest relief and the hell of collection agencies! And CIBC wants us to trust them and come forward with our stories and give them easy access to us......after they force us to go into hiding from them and the collection agencies. How stupid do they think we are? They only want their $$$$ and never cared about destroying our lives.....nice P.R. exercise on their behalf, but I'm not buying it for a second.
Frantic with fear

Have you actually read the links? Then you would realize that if the CIBC also took responsibility for their actions, I would not be in the mess I am in today.

I suspect, however, that you are just someone with no life looking for a fight and have absolutely no interest in this issue. Find another hobby and leave decent, hard-working and responsible people alone.

I sent an email last night around 8:30 or so and I got a phone call from a person this morning thanking me for my email and that my situation is under investigation. Furthermore, she told me that she will be in contact with me within 48 hours. I have to say, I'm suprised to hear from anyone at all even read the email, let alone called me back about it. Send them an email folks and see what happens.

I finally got around to sending a summary of my complaint to Edulinx. It is seven pages long, but after 5 years of battle, that length seems appropriate. In fact, I think it is organized well, and the points are made clearly.

Additionally, I sent a copy to my new case manager at the Office of the CIBC Ombudsman. I didn't address it to them; rather, I wrote a cover letter and attached the To-Douglas-Emerson message.

When I spoke with my CIBC ombudservice case manager, she seemed surprised (even disbelieving) that the CIBC National Student Centre could have misplaced my Confirmation of Enrolment forms. So... In my cover letter, I mentioned the loss of my forms, plus I said, "It is not unusual for these forms to be lost when in the care of the National Student Centre. A visit to <canadastudentdebt.ca> or <totallyfanatic.com> will show you dozens of cases where forms have been lost or mis-applied."

I hope the people at Edulinx can help, because I don't expect anything from CIBC other than a steaming brown log.

Being that Edulinx is partly owned by the CIBC, I expect two steaming brown logs.

Sorry, feeling a tad cynical today. It's been over a month now. Of course, if everyone did what you and I did (i.e., write the sequel to War & Peace), I should expect it to take a while for Naudia et. al. to sift through the muck -- and hopefully see a pattern developing.

I'm trying to be patient. I think my problems were more systemic rather than one oversight (like our friend whose husband was in Kosovo). My story was more complicated (hence the reams of paperwork I sent her) and if she is going to do her job right, she has to be able to implement changes to the system, rather than a bandaid solution.

And, since I am under consumer proposal protection, I'm not desperate for immediate solutions, i.e., the credit bureaus aren't harassing me or taking me to court. I just want a clean slate at the end of my proposal term: interest relief that I was never able to claim, and a positive record on my credit bureau. And other things too, but mainly I want to put things where they were before they started losing the paperwork.

At least, that is what I want today. Tomorrow, I may want all my loans forgiven, her first-born child and somebody's head on a stick...Ah, hormones...

I contacted emmerson and received reply wanting information.....I gave it to them and someone contacted me and said they would contact me back....over one month has passed and several emails on my behalf and guess what..........Nothing has happened!!

I'm trying to be patient. I think my problems were more systemic rather than one oversight... and if she is going to do her job right, she has to be able to implement changes to the system, rather than a bandaid solution.

You have hit the nail on the head, Couch-dweller. The problems at CIBC are truly systemic and long-standing, and not simply the result of one bad employee. In my long history of dealing with them, I have many times heard the death-knell of my complaint: "Sorry, Mr. Drake, but after reviewing your file, we have determined that the National Student Centre had followed the bank's policies."

Even the CIBC Ombudsman's office operates under this principle. I was told that my claim would be successful only if I could prove beyond doubt that the National Student Centre activity was inconsistent with established bank practice. Well, I can't. The CIBC-NSC did follow the bank's policies, which are not consistent with the Canada Student Loans Act. (Hmmm... I wonder what would have happened if they had followed the law, but didn't follow bank policy!! That's a head-scratcher, ain't it?)

Couch-dweller also wisely said:

...I just want a clean slate at the end of my proposal term: interest relief that I was never able to claim, and a positive record on my credit bureau. And other things too, but mainly I want to put things where they were before they started losing the paperwork.

You are being exceptionally fair and mature about this. It seems that you are trying to develop a solution that helps your future, while not focusing on the past. The bank can't fix all of their mistakes unless they have a time machine! But people like you and I are pleading with the bank to do something useful to make our futures run more smoothly.

Sadly, it appears impossible to find a CIBC employee who is willing to be an agent of positive change in that workplace. The people who handle complaints always operate under the CIBC slogan: "Smart, Simple Solutions." In our cases, this translates to "Delay, Defer, & Deny."

Wow.
It is nice to hear that I am not the only one having serious student loan problems. (OK, Not Nice, but comforting) I am just in the early stages of this problem. I have had a federal and national student loan for the past 5 years. I am in the last year of my last (second) degree and my loan apparently went into repayment. Thank-you CIBC. You lost my forms. Again... and didn't let me know... again... I cannot get a student loan, and therefore might not be able to finish my degree. I have brought my 22a or whatever to 3 seperate banks, and my confirmation of enrollment to CIBC, and I've taken it in the ass from the government. I have been called by irrate call center employees. I have spoke with hundreds, (and recently learned that they are encouraged not to use their real names)and I have been told that I am no longer eligible for a student loan due to another one defaulting. My loan is supposed to be recalled. SUPPOSED. The National Student Loan Center employees seemed surprised that this could've happened and acted like it was the first time it ever has. I believed them until now. Does anyone know what to do? Does anyone know some successful tactics for eliminating erraneous paperwork?

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